Plane crashes near Kathmandu, killing all 19 on board

A plane flying 19 people towards Mount Everest came down in flames on the outskirts of the Nepalese capital Friday, killing everyone on board including seven Britons and five Chinese, police said.

The twin-engine Sita Air craft had just taken off from Kathmandu and was headed to the town of Lukla, gateway to the world's highest mountain, when it plunged into the banks of a river near the city's airport around daybreak.

Witnesses described hearing the screams of passengers and seeing flames coming from one of the plane's wings moments before it hit the ground.

"The crash has caused the death of 12 foreigners, including seven British and five Chinese tourists. The remaining seven, including three crew members, are Nepalese," police spokesman Binod Singh told AFP, adding there were no survivors.

The spokesman said the plane had crashed less than one kilometre (half a mile) from the airport at around 6:30 am (0045 GMT), next to the Manohara river.

"The pilots seem to have tried to land it safely on the banks of the river but unfortunately the plane caught fire," said Singh.